AJ and the Dragon
Chapter 5
AJ's Arrival
After a few hours of wandering throughout the thorny forest, and of Applejack bracing through some bad memories of the haunted woods, Winona led her to the castle. The snow on the ground was getting heavier as it fell slowly from the sky.
AJ stared at the dark and gloomy castle. "What in tarnation?" She whispered, then knelt down beside Winona. "Is this the right place, girl?" She asked.
Winona's bark confirmed her question. Applejack then noticed that the iron gate was a bit ajar, along with a turned over wagon nearby. She walked up to the tall gate, and gently pushed it open. "I'm coming." She breathed.
In a spare sitting room of the castle, Rarity was ranting towards Rainbow Dash. Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy were watching the exchange like at a tennis match.
"You just had to invite them in, didn't you, Rainbow Dash?" Rarity said. "Now, they're captives of our so-called master!"
"It wasn't my fault, Rarity!" Dash retorted back. "I was trying to be, what you would call, hospitable." She added quotations at the end with her hands. "Besides, you would've done the same thing!"
"That was before we were forced to be here with that beastly monster!"
"Don't let him hear you say that." Twilight warned.
Fluttershy then noticed something. "Where's Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo?" She asked.
"Off for a stroll." Pinkie replied. "I'll go get them if you want." After Fluttershy nodded, she then left the room.
She soon found them out in the main hallway. But, before she could call for them, the door started to creak open.
"Hide!" She quietly yelped as she and the younger girls hid and began to listen intently.
"Hello?" A familiar voice called out. "Anyone in here? Hello?" There then was footsteps and paws pattering as the unexpected guests began to walk up the stairs. "Apple Bloom? Big Mac? Y'all here?"
Pinkie peeked out of her hiding place and bit back a squeal when she saw who it was. She then gathered Sweetie and Scootaloo and ran back to the gathering room, where Rarity and Rainbow's argument was getting more heated.
"GIRLS!" She squealed, making them jump in surprise, and Rainbow immediately covered Pinkie's mouth with her hand.
"Keep it down, will ya, Pinkie?" She hissed, and then removed her hand.
"Sorry." Pinkie apologized. "But, you won't believe who's here!" Everyone raised a curious eyebrow. But before Pinkie could reply, that familiar voice called out again.
"Hello?"
The Mane 5 instinctively hid along with the two members of the CMC. They peeked out, and saw Applejack walking down the hallway with Winona sniffing around.
"Applejack?" Rarity whispered.
"What's AJ doing here?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"She probably came here to free her siblings." Fluttershy suggested.
Pinkie then had an idea. "Hey, what if Applejack could be the one to break the spell?"
Everyone looked at her in disbelief. "AJ?" Rainbow questioned with a raised eyebrow.
Twilight thought about it for a few seconds. "Actually, it could be worth a try."
"You're kidding, right, Twi?" Dash said. "No offense, but we all know that Applejack is not really the kind of girl to have a relationship."
"Besides, even as tough as she is, can she really earn his respect?" asked Rarity.
"It has to work." Twilight said firmly. She then turned to Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. "Lead Applejack to where Apple Bloom and Big Mac are. But, stay out of sight. Let's not let her know about us yet."
"On it." The two girls affirmed, then swiftly and silently left the room.
Meanwhile, AJ was still wandering around the halls. This castle seemed smaller on the outside. Suddenly, she sensed movement from behind her. She whirled around, but saw no one. But, a door was slightly open. She and Winona stepped through into a cold stone room dimly lit by torches.
"Hello?" She said. "Is someone here?" Winona began to climb up a circular stone staircase. Applejack followed her. When they reached the top that led to a similar stone hallway, there was still not a soul.
That's strange. AJ thought. I thought I heard something. "Is anybody here?" She asked.
"Applejack?" A voice asked from one of the many doors lined along the wall. She knew that voice anywhere.
"Big Mac! Apple Bloom!"
Winona went over to the door they were behind and began clawing at it. AJ grabbed a torch from the wall and went over to it. A small hand came through the bars, and she placed it in her own.
"How'd ya find us?" Apple Bloom asked. She sounded weak. Applejack noticed how her sister's hand was quivering.
"Are y'all okay?" She asked.
"We're fine." Big Mac answered. "But AB ain't feeling so good."
"I'm okay, big brother." Apple Bloom tried to assure, but she then started coughing.
"Oh, no, you're not, li'l sis." AJ said. "I'm getting y'all outta here. Now, who did this to the two of ya?"
"No time. But, ya gotta go now." Big Mac said.
Applejack shook her head. "Now look here, Mac. I'm not leaving ya!"
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!" An angry snarl said. Applejack jumped back from the cell door, dropping the torch.
"Applejack, run!" Apple Bloom shouted.
Winona started growling at a shadowy figure where the voice came from. AJ held her stance and readied herself.
"Who's there? Who are ya?" She ordered.
"The master of this castle." The voice answered.
AJ glared at the figure. "Then, you're the one who locked up my siblings! Release them right now!"
"I'm the one who gives orders in this castle!" The figure shouted, but Applejack still stood tall. "Besides, they shouldn't have trespassed here!"
"How are they supposed to know someone lived in this run-down place?" AJ retorted back. "You live in the middle of the woods, for cryin' out loud!"
The figure growled at the cowgirl. He had never been talked back to like that before. She has fire and spirit, he'll give her that. And also, he had never seen a girl as beautiful as her. When he captured Rarity and Sweetie Belle, he had noticed how lovely Rarity was, but he was much too prideful back then to date a "country" girl. But now that he was cursed, this pretty cowgirl comes in here and she was still standing her ground, not backing down from his temper.
"Let 'em go." She ordered. "I'll do anything that would free 'em."
"There's nothing you could do. They're my prisoners." The figure turned to leave.
"Now, hold it right there!" Applejack said. An idea came into her head on how to get her family free. It was a bad idea, but it seemed like the only way. "Take me instead."
The figure froze. "You would take their place?"
"No, Applejack!" Apple Bloom pleaded. "You're crazy!"
AJ ignored her. "If I did, you'll let 'em go, right?"
"Yes." The figure replied. "But, you must promise to stay here."
Applejack then noticed that she still couldn't see exactly who she was talking to. "Come into the light."
Slowly, the figure stepped into a patch of light in front of her. AJ gasped in fright when she saw the beast in front of her. It was a dragon about a foot taller than her, with purple scales over his body and green spines that resembled hair on his head. Instead of fingers, he had sharp claws, just sharp enough to seem dangerous. A long and powerful tail with the same colors trailed behind him. He had sharp fangs instead of teeth shown through his lips pressed in a tight frown. And his draconic eyes were a matching green like hers, but they seemed cold and lifeless. He only wore a tattered black cape and black pants. Applejack looked away, afraid.
"We won't let you do this, AJ!" Big Mac shouted to her.
But Applejack still stood her ground, despite her shaky knees. She walked over to the Dragon, looking him in the eye. It was either her or her family. In her mind, she said the Pinkie Promise, along with the gesture.
"You have my word."
"Done!" The Dragon ran by her to open the cell door. Finally, AJ felt her legs give in, and she dropped to the ground. Winona come over to her, and whimpered.
Once the cell door swung open, Big Mac and Apple Bloom came over to their sister and hugged her tightly.
"You didn't have to do this." AB said.
"Yes, I did." Applejack broke away from the hug, stood up, and walked into the cell with Winona following her. Once she did, the iron door slammed shut with a loud BANG! She quickly ran to the door and saw the Dragon roughly dragging her brother and sister out. "Wait!"
"Applejack!" Apple Bloom reached towards her older sister, tears threatening to be released from her hazel eyes.
AJ reached through the bars, trying to reach her little sister. "Wait!" But, her cries were unheard.
The Dragon led them outside and stood in front of a house on the castle grounds.
"Release our sister!" Big Mac ordered, sounding like a plead.
"Please let her go!" AB begged, the tears building up faster in her eyes.
But the Dragon ignored him. He pushed Apple Bloom and Big Mac towards it. "Send them back to Ponyville." He ordered.
There was a loud snap of fingers, and before they could blink, the two Apple siblings found themselves back in the familiarity of their hometown.
Apple Bloom fell to the ground, sobbing and coughing. Big Mac swept her up in his arms and began walking to Sweet Apple Acres. He didn't know how they were going to explain this to Granny Smith.
In her cell, Applejack saw the whole thing from the cell window. She slumped to the ground in sorrow, with Winona resting her head her lap, whining sadly.